Potato digging and separating machine



1954 F. J. RODIN POTATO DIGGING AND SEPARATING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR Frz'fi r/Zfla din BY flm. @MATTORNEYS Nov. 2, 1954 F. J. RODIN 2,693,068

POTATO DIGGING AND SEPARATING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Frizz .Raiin BY v MQLMATTORNEYS Nov. 2, 1954 F. JJROD'IN 2,693,063

' POTATO DIGGING AND SEPARATING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Friiz cZHoiz' n ATTORNEY5 POTATO DIGGING AND SEPARATING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Nov. 2, 1954 F. .1. RODIN POTATO DIGGING AND SEPARATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 25, 1952 INVENTOR Frizz JR Odin M ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 7 2,693,068 POTATO DIGGING AND SEPARATING MACHINE Fritz J. Rodin, Chatham Center, N. Y. Application March 25, 1952, Serial No. 278,338

' 1 Claim. CI. 55-51 This invention relates to a potato digging and harvesting machine and is an improvement over the machine shown in my prior Patent No. 2,209,282 issued July 23, 1940, for Digging and Harvesting Machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a digging and harvesting machine for potatoes which will remove the potatoes from the ground, separate the potatoes from the vines and then grade the potatoes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of this kind wherein the vines are separated from the potatoes without injury to the potatoes.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a potato digging and harvesting machine, means for sizing the potatoes as the latter are discharged from the last conveyors.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a potato digging and harvesting machine constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed side elevation partly in section of the machine.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the lines 3--3 of either Figure 1 or 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken on the lines 44 of either Figure 1 or 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken on the lines 55 of either Figure 1 or 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken on the lines 77 of either Figure 1 or 4.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken on the line 88 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 1.

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken on the line 1111 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 15 designates generally a mobile frame structure having a pair of rear traction wheels 16 mounted thereon and front traction wheels 17. The frame 15 has adjustably mounted thereon a pair of elevator structures generally designated as 18, and these elevators are of like construction and the detailed description of one elevator will apply equally as well to the other elevator.

Each elevator 18 is formed of a frame 19, which is rockably mounted, as at 20, on upright supports 21 carried by the frame 15. The elevator 18 is adapted to be vertically adjusted at its forward and by means of a shaft 22, which has an adjusting hand lever 23 fixed to one end thereof, and the lever 23 is movable relative to an arcuate rack 24 fixed to the frame 15 The shaft 22 has fixed adjacent each end thereof a pair of L-shaped levers 25 which rockably engage upwardly projecting bars 26 fixed to the forward end of the elevator frame 19. The frame 19 has fixed to the forward end thereof a downwardly and forwardly projecting triangular shaped digging blade 27, which is view view

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adapted to dig the potatoes from the ground, and the potatoes are adapted to move upwardly over the blade 27.

A perforate endless elevator member 28 has an upper run movable between upstanding side boards 29 carried by the frame 19, and the elevator member 28 is formed of a pair of side chains 30 which are connected together by a plurality of parallel and spaced bars 31. The chains 30 at their forward ends engage over forward or lower sprockets 32 and at their upper or rear ends, engage over upper sprockets 33.

The sprockets 33 are mounted on a shaft 34 which is journalled below the upper rear end of the frame 19. The lower run 35 of the elevator member 28 is relatively slack and at its upper rear portion, engages over an idler roller 36; and at its forward end portion, engages over a forward idler roller 37. An intermediate idler roller 38 is carried by the frame 15 and is adapted to engage over the upper side of the elevator member 28, as shown in Figure 2.

A rear cross conveyor 39 is movably carried by the frame 15 a substantial distance below the rear end of conveyor 28 so that the potatoes, vines or the like will be discharged from elevator 23 to the cross conveyor 39. The forward edge of the cross conveyor 39 is substantially in the vertical plane of the rear upper end of the conveyor 29.

In order to provide a means whereby the vines will be separated from the potatoes as the vines and potatoes are gravitatingly discharged from elevator 28 to cross conveyor 39, I have provided a blower 40 which has the outlet nozzle 41 thereof disposed between the upper rear end of elevator 28 and the upper side of cross conveyor 39. The discharge nozzle 41 of blower 40 is adapted to direct an air stream across conveyor 39, and any loose vines which drop from elevator will be blown rearwardly and onto the ground at the rear of the machine, leaving the potatoes on the cross conveyor 39.

There is a blower 40 for each elevator 18 so that the vines or other loose material other than potatoes will be blown rearwardly and away from the cross conveyor 39.

The cross conveyor 39 is adapted to discharge the potatoes onto a downwardly and forwardly inclined chute 42, carried by the frame 15, and the chute 42 is preferably removable so that under certain circumstances, the potatoes may be discharged onto the ground by the cross conveyor 39. The chute or guide 42 is adapted to guide the loose potatoes downwardly and forwardly for engagement with a longitudinal elevator 43 which is formed of a pair of side chains 44 connected together by means of spaced parallel bars 45, and at spaced intervals upstanding cleats 46a are provided so as to hold the potatoes against downward and rearward movement as the upper run of the elevator 43 moves upwardly and forwardly.

The elevator 43 is adapted to discharge the potatoes, which at this time are substantially free of vines and dirt, onto a sizing conveyor 46. A plate 47 forming a guide is disposed below the upper forward end of elevator 43 and is adapted to guide the potatoes discharged from glevator 43 onto the transversely movable sizing conveyor A second sizing conveyor 48 is disposed below and forwardly of the conveyor 46, and the smaller potatoes passing through the sizing conveyor 46 are adapted to be guided to conveyor 48 by means of downwardly and forwardly inclined guide bars 49 disposed below conveyor 46. The larger potatoes which are conveyed transversely of the frame 15 by conveyor 46 are discharged from the latter to a substantially V-shaped receiver generally designated as 50.

The receiver 50 is provided with a main valve plate 51, which is swingable across the mouth of the receiver 50, as shown in Figure 1, so as to guide the potatoes to either the right or the left of the receiver 50. A pair of inwardly convergent bafiles 52 are carried by the receiver 50, and a pair of adjustable valve plates 53 and 54 are carried by the forward or outer portion of receiver 50 and are adjustable toward or away from the baffles 52 so as to direct the potatoes to outer hoppers 55 and 56 or hoppers 57 and 58.

The potatoes, which are moved transversely of the frame 15 by the conveyor 48, are discharged into a receiver 59 projecting from the conveyor 48 and forwardly of the receiver 50. The several elevators and conveyors are operated from a shaft 60 having one or more universal joints 61 interposed therein, and shaft 60 is adapted to be connected-to the power take-off of a tractor.

The rear end of shaft 60' is connected .to .a .gear box or transmission 62,"and lateral shafts 63. and 64v project frorn'transmission 62. The outer end' of. shaft'63'hasaa sprocket.'65 secured thereto about which a chain 66 engages,and chain 66 also engagesgat its rear portion about a rear sprocket 67' mountedonshaftt34'.

Thebl'owers"40 are operated bymeansof a sprocket 68 mounted on shaft 64, and a chain 69'is trained about sprocket 68 and about a sprocket 70' secured to a common shaft 71 connected between the two blowers 40*." The outer'end' of shaft'64' has a spurgear 72 fixed thereto which engages a spur gear 74 secured=to a shortlate'raily projecting shaft 75;"

Shaft75 has fixed to the outer end thereof-a sprocket 76*aboutwhich a chain 77 engages, and chain77 also engages about an elevator sprocket 78 which isrsecured to an upper elevator shaft 79. The shaft 79opera-tes elevator-43.- Shaft 75 has fixed thereto 'a beveled gear 80 wh-iclr'meshes with a beveled gear 81 fixed to a rearwardly projecting shaft- 82.

The shaft 82' has fixed to the rear end thereof a'spur gear 83 meshing with a second spur gear '84' which is fixed to a shaft 85. The shaft '85 extends-rearwardlyi and over the cross conveyor 39, and the rear end 'of'shaft 85 hasfiX'ed-thereto asprocket-SG. A chain 87 engagesabout sprocket 86 and also about a conveyor driving sprocket 88Qwhich' is fixed to a shaft "89 adapted to :operatethe conveyor 39 atthe forward endthereof: Shaft 82" has fixedthereon a sprocket 90' about which a chain- 91 engages, and the chain 91- extends upwardly andengages about a sprocket 92 carried by an upper conveyor operating shaft 93.

'The shaft 93 has fixed thereto a sprocket- 94-abont whicha chain 95 engages, and the chain 95" extends "laterally and engages about a sprocket '96 connected with; the discharge end of conveyor'46'. Sprocket' 96 is secured to a shaft 971' and a second sprocket 98 is: secured to shaft 97. A downwardly extending chain-'99 engages about sprocket-98 and abouta lower sprocket llmtwhich is fixedto at shaft 101. The shaft 101 -iS- GOIlI1eGt6di with tlie'forward or discharge' end of sizing conveyon48t- In; the use and operation of this device; the elevator 18' istlowered at its forward end by- *adj ustment'iof hand lever '23-- so that digging bl'adet 27- wi lil project. int'osthe ground adistance suficient -to.- engage belowthe potatoe's; The; potatoes: with the dirt'removed therewithuandwith the vines will :move: upwardly: overxbladei 27, and the rearwardly moving upper runof elevator will pickup the potatoes. and vines: sonas to =move'ther same upwardly and rearwardly The loose dirt will drop between the screening bars 31, and when the potatoes and vines are discharged from the upper rear end of elevator member 28, the vines and potatoes will drop downwardly through the rearwardly moving air stream generated by the blower 40. Loose vines will be blown over cross conveyor 39 onto the ground/at the rear of the machine. The potatoes will drop onto" rear cross conveyor 39 and wilt ebedischarged into ehuteu42, I where the potatoes: will be guided to the longitudinal elevator 43. The potatoes will be discharged from zelevator 43'ito the sizing: conveyor 46, the larger potatoes remaining on conveyor 46 and the smalleimpotatoes dropping through this "conveyor and being guided by the guide bars 49 to the conveyor 48. The potatoes which are-moved transversely by conveyor 46 will be discharged into receiver 50, and it will be understood that this receiver may include a means for supporting bags sothat the potatoes will be immediately bagged or sacked:

. The provision of. the "blowers for removing the vines will" provide. a means whereby the vines maybet's'epae rated fromthe' pot-ato'eswithout injury'to the latter; and itfwill 'be understood that cross conveyor-39-inay be a plain, flat-'belt'or-may beprovided withxribswhichmay be formed of rubber or thedike 'which'will not injure the potatoes as the latter are discharged from theelevator 28 to the cross conveyor 39; g

I do notmean-to-confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all varia tion's falling within the purview of the appended c'lainr.

What is claimed-is:

I-n-apotato digger; a mobile' frameya digging member carried by said frame, an elevator extendingrearward lya-nd upwardly from's'aid -mernb'er, a cross conveyor carried bysaid frame; a substantial distance below the rearupperend" 'of -'said 'elevator whereby "the" dropping materialrnay freely separate, theiforward edge' of said cross conveyor being substantially in the vert'icalpl-ane of the rear upper end of said elevator whereby 'the'material'will gravitatinghr dropdownwardl y fromsaid eIfe'vator to said crossv conveyor; and a blower disposed be low said elevator having the outlet thereofi upwardlygand outwardly inclined "and disposed closely adjacent said cross conveyor whereby to blow loose and sepanated ditt and vinesrearwa-rdly oversaid-cross' conveyor. Y

References "Cited in the-filetof this patent UNITED STATES" PATENTS 

